The invention is in the field of automatic or self-steering assemblies used on cruising sailboats.
The search for a simple self-steering device for sailboats undoubtedly antedated Joshua Slocum's historic solo circumnavigation of the globe, during which he was able to continue on course while resting by the simple expedient of lashing the wheel. This was possible because of the unusual characteristics of the sloop "Spray." Unfortunately, as is well known by sailors, most sailboats do not exhibit such stability and quickly drift off course without an alert helmsman. Because of the near necessity during solo crossings and the like that the boat be capable of holding its course unattended, numberous self-steering systems have been developed, but characteristically these systems are elaborate, expensive, and require either a wind vane, a sail angle sensing line, or both, to operate.